City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: September 30, 2025
Agenda Item: 4.G
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: Matthew Hallock, Fire Chief, Fire Department
Subject: Award Nurse Practitioner Agreements for Advanced Provider Unit 2 of 6
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Adopt a finding of no possibility of significant effect pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) (Common Sense Exemption) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines;
2. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute an agreement with Tiffany Leighanne Barajas DBA Affinity Care as a Nurse Practitioner for the Advanced Provider Unit for the Fire Department. This recommended award is made as an exception to the competitive bidding process pursuant to Santa Monica Municipal Code Section 2.24.250(i) and 2.24.240(a) and an amount not to exceed $95,464 (including a $18,664 contingency) over a one-year period, with four 1-year renewal options, for a total amount not to exceed $504,667 over a five-year period, with future year funding contingent on Council budget approval;
3. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute an agreement with Courtney Nabors DBA Naborly Nursing Inc. as a Nurse Practitioner for the Advanced Provider Unit for the Fire Department. This recommended award is made as an exception to the competitive bidding process pursuant to Santa Monica Municipal Code Section 2.24.250(i) and 2.24.240(a) and an amount not to exceed $95,464 (including a $18,664 contingency) over a one-year period, with four 1-year renewal options, for a total amount not to exceed $504,667 over a five-year period, with future year funding contingent on Council budget approval; and
4. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute an agreement with Patricia Martin as a Nurse Practitioner for the Advanced Provider Unit for the Fire Department. This recommended award is made as an exception to the competitive bidding process pursuant to Santa Monica Municipal Code Section
2.24.250(i) and 2.24.240(a) and an amount not to exceed $47,731 (including a $9,332 contingency) over a one-year period, with four 1-year renewal options, for a total amount not to exceed $252,332 over a five-year period, with future year funding contingent on Council budget approval.
Summary
The Santa Monica Fire Department’s Advanced Provider Unit (APU) is one of the City’s newest programs to focus on the City’s most vulnerable populations and provide them with resources and better access to the help they need. The APU is staffed with a Firefighter Paramedic and Nurse Practitioner, and the Fire Department has spent the past few months creating protocols, stocking the APU vehicle, and interviewing Nurse Practitioners. The department intends to contract up to three Nurse Practitioners to ensure maximum coverage and no operational downtime. Staff recommends awarding agreements to Tiffany Leighanne Barajas DBA Affinity Care, Courtney Nabors DBA Naborly Nursing Inc., and Patricia Martin as Nurse Practitioners for the APU. 3 of 6
Discussion
On June 24, 2025, Council adopted the FY 2025-27 Biennial Budget which authorized the creation of an Advanced Provider Unit (APU) within the Fire Department. Utilizing voter-approved funds from Measure K, the APU supplements the City’s first response capability by having a dedicated unit to better address the needs of persons experiencing homelessness and other vulnerable populations.
The APU program currently consists of a single unit staffed by a Firefighter Paramedic and Nurse Practitioner on a 40-hour per week schedule. The department envisions a second unit in the future, should additional funding become available, to increase coverage and maximize effectiveness. The APU provides the following:
1. Comprehensive Care. The APU can perform comprehensive assessments, treat, and release patients. Unlike paramedics and emergency medical technicians, a Nurse Practitioner can medically clear patients, which keeps low acuity patients out of the hospital. This not only frees up hospital beds for those in need but keeps Fire Department units available as they no longer have to wait for a bed.
2. Homelessness Intervention. The APU can function as mobile urgent care for the unhoused population. In addition to medically clearing individuals, the unit can provide point-of-care testing for conditions such as flu, strep, and blood abnormalities. If issues are detected, the APU can prescribe necessary medications, such as antibiotics, enhancing the speed and efficacy of treatment.
3. Community Paramedicine. The APU can make house calls to Santa Monica residents, providing post-discharge care, testing, and follow-up after hospital release, thus reducing the potential for future 9-1-1 calls.
4. Versatility and Advanced Treatment. The APU can deliver a high level of medical care and intervention. This benefit extends to our partners in the Santa Monica Police Department, as they can rely less on external medical partners to medically clear detainees for booking. Since the APU is a city resource, the Police Department will not incur charges for these services, resulting in cost savings.
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The department opted to contract for Nurse Practitioners rather than to create City positions, to maximize operational uptime and scheduling flexibility. Over the past few months, staff drafted job responsibilities and requirements, held an informational session that was attended by over 40 potential Nurse Practitioners, and conducted two rounds of interviews. Given that the APU was funded largely to address persons experiencing homelessness and other vulnerable populations and the urgency to begin operations as soon as possible, staff is utilizing the Local Emergency on Homelessness to expedite the process to hire Nurse Practitioners.
Vendor Selection
Exception to Competitive Bidding
Staff recommends awarding agreements for Nurse Practitioners, as listed below, as an exception to competitive bidding consistent with the initial Proclamation of the City Council Declaring a Local Emergency on Homelessness adopted by Council on February 14, 2023. The Proclamation was most recently extended on July 29, 2025 to continue until December 31, 2026. With the extension of the Proclamation, the contract awards qualify as an emergency award pursuant to SMMC 2.24.240(a) and subsequently is recommended as an exception to the competitive bidding process pursuant to SMMC
2.24.250(i).
i. solicitation is made under the emergency procedures set forth in Section 2.24.240.
The agreements to be awarded for Nurse Practitioners are:
1) Tiffany Leighanne Barajas DBA Affinity Care: initial 1-year term with a not to exceed amount of $95,464 (including a $18,664 contingency), with four 1-year renewal options, for a total not to exceed amount of $504,667 2) Courtney Nabors DBA Naborly Nursing Inc.: initial 1-year term with a not to exceed amount of $95,464 (including a $18,664 contingency), with four 1-year renewal options, for a total not to exceed amount of $504,667 3) Patricia Martin: initial 1-year term with a not to exceed amount of $47,731 (including a $9,332 contingency), with four 1-year renewal options, for a total not to exceed amount of $252,332
Environmental Review
The agreements for Nurse Practitioners is exempt from CEQA pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) (Common Sense Exemption) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines, which states that CEQA does not apply “where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment.” The agreements would continue the City’s nurse practitioner 5 of 6
services. Therefore, it can be seen with certainty that the order would not result in adverse physical impacts on the environment, and as such, exempt from CEQA.
Past Council Actions
Meeting Date Description
07/29/2025 Adoption of Resolution Ratifying Homelessness Emergency Proclamation
06/24/2025 Adoption FY 2025-27 Biennial Budget and FY 2025-26 CIP Budget Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
Staff seeks authority to approve funding from the General Fund to award agreements with Tiffany Leighanne Barajas DBA Affinity Care, Courtney Nabors DBA Naborly Nursing Inc., and Patricia Martin to operate as Nurse Practitioners for the Advanced Provider Unit for the Fire Department.
Agreement Request
Contract FY 2025-26
Request Amount Department Account # Future Years Amount Total Contract
Amount
Tiffany Barajas $95,464 01190005.550010 $409,203 $504,667 Courtney Nabors $95,464 01190005.550010 $409,203 $504,667 Patricia Martin $47,731 01190005.550010 $204,601 $252,332 Future year funding contingent on Council budget approval.
Prepared By: Jonathan Tang, Principal Administrative Analyst Approved Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. Patricia Martin - Levine
B. Patricia Martin - Oaks
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C. Patricia Martin - Living Wage
D. Courtney Nabors- Oaks
E. Courtney Nabors- Living Wage
F. Courtney Nabors- Levine
G. Tiffany Barajas Living Wage
H. Tiffany Barajas Levine
I. Tiffany Barajas Oaks